Though demand for their booze is booming, the owners of Asheville Distilling Co. have discovered that trying to change distribution laws that date to the end of Prohibition is enough to drive a person to drink.

Spurred by accusations that the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority pads its stats, Charlotte and local booster groups commissioned an outside agency to calculate the impact of the Democratic National Convention. The result? About 35,000 attendees helped generate almost $164 million, making it the most-lucrative event in the metro’s history.